Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-24
A DEADLY NUISANCE.
A NeighbOrh0Od Poisoned by a
Stagnant Pond.


EDITORS HERALD There is stag
nant pond of water at the corner ol
Second and Hope streets that has been
there ever since the early rains last
winter. Some two months ago it be-
gan to get very offensive, and we went
to the Chief of Police and explained
the matter to him. He referred us to
the Health Officer, who, after repeated
conferences with the Chief of Police,
came up to see the place and pro-
nounced its existence as most danger
GUS to the health of that vicinity, but
claimed that they had no authority to
do anything in the premises. We
then thought ofour progressive Mayor,
who had only short time pre-
vious issued his manifesto in re-
gard to cleanliness. We found his
honor, and he referred us to the
Health Office. We represented that
we had been there and could effect
nothing. The Mayor then promised
to look into the matter, and that was
the last of it. We then went to the
City Attorney, who advised a petit
ton to the Council. He thought they
would have to do something. We did
SO, and last Monday left it with the
clerk. just after leaving the Office
we met our old friend, Mr. Teese, to
whom we explained what we had
done. "Why," says he, eve have no
firnn fn lnnly affnr h, nf fhat
kind; you must go to the Health
Officer for relief" told, or
rather tried to tell Mr..
Teese my experience with
those gentlemen with the best
grace could under the circumstances.
Our petition, however, was referred to
the proper committee, but nothing
has been done up to this time. Now
gentlemen, what are we going to do?
Very often at night we have to shut
up every window and door in the
house to keep out the vile odor from
this deadly nuisance. l do not see
why the present Health Officer has
not the same power as his predecessor,
DIR. Baker, had, who when he found,
year ago, that nothing else could be
done, pumped the fetid pool out. The
Council gives the street railroad
companies the right of way across
these hollows but makes no provision
for water outlets, and the
thing must be standing nuisance,
with no relief to- the people living in
its vicinity but to move to some other
part of the city. This morning we all
got up with severe headaches, and it
seems to me that we have good case
for damages against the city govern
ment.
There must undoubtedly be some
thing wrong when nuisance in the
shape of large pond of stagnant
water cannot be abated for the want of
proper authority; for it certainly
does not seem possible that a
progressive city of fifty thousand and
upwards of population, should be
without proper ordinances for the
abatement of nuisances of this grave
character. If you, Mr.. Editor, Or
some of our fellow citizens, can tell us
the course to pursue for relief, we
would like to know what it is.
JUsTITIA.
1t seems strange that so deadly a
nuisance in the heart of populous
cannot be abated. 1t is
certainly the duty of the city author
tiles to afford these people relief. If
the city has allowed the street rail-
roads to make embankments in hol-
lows, without providing culverts for
the escape of water, it is to blame,
and should rectify the evils arising
from its own laches.-EDs. HERALD